Midwinter Walk

This is dawn this morning looking down the Sound of Mull to the mountains and clouds behind which the solstice sun was rising.  Yesterday's rain, which was stingingly cold enough at sea level, had fallen as snow on hills which were bare a couple of days ago.

With the day determined to stay cloudy but dry, and a bitter wind barrelling in from the southeast, we took our favourite damp-day walk, a stiff climb to the top of the ridge-line behind the house.  The ewes which have been gathered on the croft land for the last few weeks for tupping were being returned to the hill, where they'll stay until late spring.  It's a hard life for them up there.  Many won't make it through the winter weather, so for the next few months we'll be stumbling across corpses which are being picked clean by eagles, hoodies and ravens.

The ridge, Druim na Gearr Leacainn, offers a panorama of views, even on a dull day.  Immediately below its sheer north slope are the twin lochans, Lochain Ghleann Locha, their surfaces ruffled by catspaws of wind.  To the right is the dark lump of Stacan Dubha, and in the distance, from left to right, lie the islands of Rum, Eigg and Skye.

Along the ridge to the west a deserted valley draws the eye to Grigadale farmhouse, to the right of which is the hill called Beinn Bhuidhe and, beyond it, Sgurr nan Meann.  The flat-topped island in the distance is Canna.

At the western end of the ridge the view is across the Sound of Mull to the island's northwestern extremity, Calliach Point.  The photo was taken at just on three in the afternoon, by which time the sun looked as if it was about to give up the unequal struggle against a rolling grey sea of cloud.  So we slithered down the hill, back to a warm house and a cup of tea.